Non-Verbal Response

I have always hated discussing poetry.

There is something wrong-sighted and vulgar about that practice. I used to deliberately not explore the specifics of my reaction. It was enough to conclude that this was something pedants do.

I enjoy the exchange of information. True, my experiences were often confined to the classroom, with all the democratic frustrations that involves. Regardless, I do enjoy serious exchange with serious people. I've gained from it. It has value.

It is also not the case that I resent explanation. Real work has weight and grit enough to support its own structure regardless of what meaning we may attribute to it. Often, I have found my conclusions to be wrong and been pleased to stand corrected.

No, the real issue here is with medium. Poetry is the most sophisticated form of verbal expression. Responding to it by simple talk is possibly the most inelegant act imaginable. It would be like browsing through galleries of the Old Masters and then reacting through fingerpaints. One could respond to poetry with poetry, but that simply postpones the issue.

It is for this reason that I feel secretly compelled to respond non-verbally. I want to scream or punch someone or to beat my head against a wall. I want to acknowledge a triumph of language without defilement.